Rakuten TV launches kids channel

Targeting kids two to 10 with 100 eps of animated content, the VOD's first children's channel is looking for older-skewing kids titles to fill out its library.

VOD service Rakuten TV is making a push into kids content for the first time with the new AVOD channel Kids TV. The free TV channel is available on the online service in 42 European countries, including Spain, France, Germany, Italy and the UK.

Launched February 20, Kids TV is for two to 10s, and has 100 episodes of animated content, including Aardman’s Shaun the Sheep, Millimages’ Molang and Motion Pictures Glumpers. It also features educational content focused on teaching kids English, such as Aardman’s Learning Time with Timmy and Lingokids Song for Kids. Its offerings are focused on preschoolers at the moment, but Rakuten is interested in titles that also skew older, according a spokesperson for the company.

Rakuten is launching a kids channel to draw in eyeballs during the streaming wars, according a statement from the company. The family friendly shows are its way to meet a wider demand of possible consumer needs.

Originally named Wuaki.tv, was acquired in 2012 by Japanese e-commerce conglom Rakuten and rebranded. The VOD service has been rapidly expanding in the last year to compete against global streamers such as Netflix, and in recent months it’s added a sports platform, a movies channel and a channel for its own original content. Available online and via Smart TVs, the VOD service has racked up around seven million users.